As part of my new “Altruistic Tuesdays” series, today, I am pleased to highlight a story from Encore.org:

Terry Ramey started working on an assembly line at a Ford plant outside Ann Arbor, Mich., when he was in his 20s. “I’m third-generation auto,” he explains. Like his father and grandfather, he figured he would retire from the same job.

But after more than 13 years, the monotony of the line, the physical toll it took on his body, and the auto industry’s uncertain future started Ramey thinking about leaving. “The quality of life, even though I made a good living, was terrible.”

Not too long afterward, Ramey happened to be the first on the scene of a highway motorcycle accident. He was calm, able to help the injured man – and surprised that he got so much satisfaction from doing it.

When Ford offered an “education buyout package” – a chance to attend school for four years and receive up to $15,000 in annual tuition money and half his annual wages – Ramey jumped at the chance.

Even though he had never been to college and he was 40 years old, Terry enrolled in a four-year nursing program. He plans to become a nurse by age 44.

Have you ever thought of making a change – a big change – in your career? The healthcare industry consistently ranks in the top growth fields year after year. Is this a field of interest to you?

Andrea Santiago, about.com’s guide to health careers, reminds us, “There are lots of health care jobs that don’t require a bachelor’s degree, and some don’t even require an associate’s degree.” She cautions, “However, keep in mind that generally, the more education is required for the job, the higher it will pay, just as in any other industry.” (Stay tuned for much more advice from Andrea about transitioning to a health career tomorrow!)

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